Ties That Bind
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: [LG, LR, TF, SPD] Sky and Syd, the mostly happy couple. Wes, Jen, Carter, and Dana, the mostly happy couple's parents. Leo and Kendrix, who bring home someone very important to Sydney. LeoxKendrix, CarterxDana, WesxJen, SkyxSyd. Slight AU.


**Ties That Bind**

She giggled softly and scooted closer to him, taking comfort in his warmth. She planted a soft kiss on his cheek, a few bouncy blond curls draping themselves over her face as her position changed. He brushed them away for her and kept his hand on her face, looking at her intently. They both lived for moments like this; in the early mornings tender touches and soft kisses made it seem like they were the only two people on earth.

He kissed her then, rolling over on top of her and pinning her beneath him. She kissed him back for a moment, enjoying the feel of his weight covering her. And then she remembered that they were in her parents' home. She knew the exact look her mother and father would give her if they found her like this at six in the morning. She pulled away from him slightly.

"Baby…?" he asked, his voice still tick with sleep and his eyes still groggy.

"Sky…we're in my parents' house. They're down the hall in their room sleeping. If they woke up and saw us…"

He pretended to pout. "Fair enough," he grunted, but he said it with a smile on his face. He got off of her but nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder, lightly kissed her neck and closed his eyes again. Syd giggled.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." The pink ranger thought for a moment. "How about some breakfast, baby?"

"All right," he agreed, sitting up. Syd joined him, stretching and yawning. She ran her fingers through her curls and then swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked Sky quietly as she bundled herself into her pink bathrobe. He got out of the bed and wrapped his arms around his fiancée, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Would pancakes be too much trouble?"

"Not at all," she answered. "But first you'll have to let go of me," Syd added, her tone lighthearted and teasing. It wasn't that she minded this affectionate side of Sky; it was that she wasn't too sure her father approved of their relationship.

Sky obeyed, faking a dramatic sigh. "'Show me you love me,' you always say. And now when I do…you shoot me down."

Syd glared at him in mock anger. "I know, Sky. It's just that we're in my parents' house and I…"

"But you do know that I love you, right?"

"Of course I do. I've never doubted that, Sky," Syd told him with a soft smile that lit up her pretty features. "Now let's go get something to eat, all right?"

--

By the time Sydney's parents arrived downstairs, the pink and red rangers had already finished their breakfast and coffee. Sky was reading the newspaper and Syd a romance novel. They were the picture of a blissfully happy couple.

Dana Grayson smiled at her daughter and her future son-in-law fondly. "You two are up early," the pink Lightspeed ranger remarked. "Any reason?"

"We were hungry," replied Syd, standing and crossing the kitchen to her mother. She hugged the older woman and then kissed her cheek. "There's pancake batter left if you want any."

Carter handed a mug of coffee to his wife and took a seat opposite Sky. Syd shot her father a look that clearly warned him to be nice, and the older man nodded in response. He picked up a section of the newspaper, every so often looking over the top of it at his fellow red ranger.

"How long are you two on vacation again?" he asked after awhile.

"Carter," Dana warned. "Syd and Sky are always welcome here. We should just be grateful they choose to spend their vacation with us."

"Of course my only baby girl is welcome in her own home," Carter shot back. "It's-"

"Daddy," Sydney said softly. "If we're so much of a problem we can just leave." Sky nodded his agreement.

"It's not that I don't want you here," Carter defended himself. "I just worry about-"

"Can we not fight at the breakfast table?" asked Dana wearily. "It's still early, too early to be arguing about this. Carter, I don't want to hear another word about Syd and Sky, do you understand me?" Carter nodded reluctantly. "Good," Dana continued. "And now that we've all agreed to get along like the big happy family we're going to be in two months, how about another round of pancakes?"

--

The morpher went off right in the middle of the walk Sky and Syd were taking in downtown Mariner Bay. Syd frowned as Sky flipped the morpher open.

"Tate," he answered in his business only voice. His face, which had been smiling only moments before as he walked along with Sydney, instantly became serious.

"We need you back in New Tech immediately. It's urgent, Sky," came the gravelly voice of Commander Cruger.

"Sir-"

"I am sorry to cut short your vacation, Cadet, but it must be done. SPD needs your skills as soon as possible. Give my best to Syd," he added, as if he were trying to apologize.

"Isn't she coming as well, Sir?"

"For now, you are the only one needed. Syd may stay on her break until she is scheduled to come back."

Sky closed the morpher again, looking at Syd apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sydney. Whatever it is that they need me for I'll finish as soon as I can. I promise you that."

Syd just shook her head in disbelief. "Why is it that you can never tell them no, Sky? It's always SPD this and SPD that. Why can you never put me first? I'm your fiancée, Sky, does that mean anything to you at all?"

"Syd, you're always first," Sky growled. "But this is my job. How could I tell them to just buzz off when we both know how much the galaxy is depending on our team?"

Syd snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't give me that, Sky. I'll see you at home."

And with that, the pink SPD ranger stalked off through the town of her childhood. Sky heaved a sigh and went off in the opposite direction.

--

Syd halfheartedly hugged Sky as he was on his way out. She was still furious about what had happened earlier, but she knew he was going regardless of what she said.

And she acknowledged that the SPD academy needed him to escort a group of notorious aliens' containment cards through a difficult patch of space to Gamma Orion. Sky was the best pilot SPD had to offer; he was the obvious choice for the job.

But she was still angry.

--

"Bad news Cadet. I am sorry to have to be the one who tells you this, but we have lost contact with the craft Sky was flying. It is our belief that he veered off course through the Gamma Nebula. We are doing all we can to locate him."

Syd burst into tears. "I'll be there as soon as I can, Commander," she said in a shaky voice. "I want to help."

"Sydney," came Kat's voice, "Do not even think of leaving Mariner Bay. There's nothing anyone can do until we locate Sky. Then we'll send you and Z and Bridge out to bring him home. Until then you stay put."

Syd took a deep breath. "All right," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Keep me posted. I'll be right by the phone."

Dana regarded her daughter sympathetically. "Oh sweetheart," she said quietly, hugging Syd close. "He'll be fine. He's a big boy."

"I hate myself, Mom," Sydney declared. "We fought before he left, and now he might not ever come home. What am I going to do without my Sky?"

"Shh, Syd. It's all right. He'll be OK. He loves you; he'll come home."

--

Late that night, Carter Grayson came downstairs for a midnight snack, only to see his only daughter huddled up on the couch in her bathrobe, staring out of the window with bloodshot eyes. The sparkle that normally shone in her blue eyes (so much like her mother's) was extinguished, and Carter knew how much his baby girl was hurting.

"Sydney, honey?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said softly. "I just kept staring at the ceiling replaying the last conversation I had with him over and over again."

Carter nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. I've done that too." The former red ranger took a seat in the armchair next to the couch, leaning over and putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I suppose you're happy, though," Syd said through clenched teeth. "We all know that you don't want Sky anywhere near me."

"That's not true, Syd. I love that you're getting married to someone who makes you so happy and cares about you that way Sky does. He'd do anything for you, you know."

"I know, Daddy. But if you're so happy for me, then why did you always treat Sky the way you did?"

"I'd resent anyone who took my only little girl away from me. And at the same time that he makes you happy, I know that he always puts being a ranger first. I've seen how much it hurts you, Sydney, and I just want you to have someone who will put you first. It was the same thing with your grandfather and I, which is why I hung up my morpher before I stared dating your mother."

Syd nodded. "I understand, Daddy, that you only want what's best for me, but Sky is what's best for me." And suddenly she was crying again, and Carter moved to kneel before his daughter, pulling her into his arms for a hug. "I need him to come home. I need him."

Carter shushed his daughter. "He will Syd. He's a fighter. He'll come home."

--

Syd was still a mess when her Uncle Leo and Aunt Kendrix arrived for one of their visits from their home on Mirinoi. Normally she was happy to see the Corbetts, who were her godparents, but today she just couldn't bear it.

"Syd, honey," Dana said, knocking on the door to her daughter's bedroom, "There's someone here to see you."

"I'll come down and talk to Leo and Kendrix later. I can't handle it now, Mom."

Dana ignored this and went into Syd's room. "We have guests, Sydney, not only Leo and Kendrix but Wes and Jen. You are coming downstairs and you are coming now." Dana seized her daughter's hand and pulled her along after her.

Kendrix and Leo, along with Sky's parents, Wes and Jen, were sitting around the dining room table. Wes and Leo were telling the story of the red rangers' trip to the moon for the hundredth time, and their wives were rolling their eyes at the exaggerations.

"Hello Sydney," Kendrix said loudly to drown out Leo's voice. She stood and gave her goddaughter a fond hug. Jen did the same, and the former pink rangers exchanged a secretive glance.

"Where's Daddy?" Syd Wondered. Leo pointed towards the kitchen and Syd started towards it, but Wes grabbed her hand and held her back.

"He'll be out in a moment," said the red Time Force ranger. "Sit and visit with us."

Syd was wondering how Wes could be so cheerful when his only son was missing, but she did as she was told.

She answered all the questions directed at her politely, but her heart wasn't in to it. And then Carter walked out of the kitchen, followed by-

"Sky!" Syd exclaimed joyously, jumping out of her chair and running into his open arms. The other three couples smiled at the fourth generation of red and pink rangers. "But how did you get here?"

"I got stuck in an asteroid belt, and with a ton of luck I got out, but the ship was damaged."

"He landed on Mirinoi, and luckily Leo recognized him," said Jen.

"We brought him home for you as a surprise," put in Kendrix.

"Surprise!" said Dana.

Syd giggled happily and snuggled in closer to her red ranger. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you, Sky."

"No, I'm sorry for putting work before you," Sky replied. "Your dad had a little chat with me about it."

Syd looked at Carter, who smiled at his daughter. "And I'm retiring from active ranger status," Sky said. "I don't want to lose you just because I'm a workaholic."

"SPD is your life, Sky. I can't ask you to give that up."

"No, you're my life," said Sky, tightening his hold on Sydney. "Now and forever."


End file.
